Balancing stick



March 19, 1963 1. T. HARRIS 3,081,999

BALANCING STICK Filed March 13, 1961 FIG.6

United States PatentO M 3,081,999 BALANCING STICK Israel T. Harris, 304Bayard St., Oceanside, N.Y. Filed Mar. 13, 1961, Ser. No. 95,265 2Claims. (Cl. 273--1) This invention relates to an agility game or toyand, in particular, to one which is adjustable to meet the requirementsof the individual user.

Persons of all ages enjoy the challenge of an agilitytesting device. Itis not an uncommon sight to see, for example, a boy balancing abroomstick on his fingert p. However, it has been noted that the playerquickly loses interest in the balancing of a broomstick because of manyreasons: (1) difficulty, the broomstick not being of preferred form orweight for this purpose, and (2.) it is not competitive in that there islack of means to equahze the degree of skill required among players ofdifferent height.

As will be more fully disclosed hereinafter, the apparatus of thisinvention includes an adjustable height balancing rod provided withsuitable finger grips. By making the height adjustable, the rod may bead usted to match the height of the player. Thus, the same devicebecomes suitable for use as in a competitive sport. Means are providedto increase the degree of skill required for the handling of the deviceby the more skilled contestant.

Accordingly, it is one object of this invention to provlde a balancingtoy which lends itself to a competitive game. Further, it is anotherobject of this invention to provide an adjustable balancing toy.

Still another object of this twirlable balancing toy.

Still a different object of this invention is to provide a balancing toyhaving an increased means for varying the degree of skill required inaccordance with the height of the player.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an adjustableheight balancing device.

invention is to provide a Still another object of this invention is toprovide a balancing toy having a flexible member.

Still other objects and advantages of the present invention will be, inpart, obvious and will, in part, be pointed out with particularity asthe following description proceeds taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective showing of the balancing device of thisinvention.

FIG. 2 is a section taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a section taken along line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a section taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show in perspective and partially sectioned twoembodiments of the balancing stick of this invention employingalternative clamping means.

Referring now to the drawings and in particular to FIG. 1, there isdesignated generally by the numeral 10, a balancing stick of thisinvention. As shown, it comprises three concentric nesting tubes,members 12, 14 and 16. While three tubes, each about two feet long havebeen found satisfactory, it is to be understood that a greater or lessernumber of tubes may be employed.

It is preferred that the tubes be made of a lightweight plastic. For thesmaller diameter tubes 14 and 16, polystyrene and cellulose acetate havebeen found to be suitable. While polystyrene and cellulose acetate arelikewise suitable for tube 12, an interesting and highly desirablemodification of the apparatus is obtained if a flex ible plastic, suchas polyethylene, is employed for tube 12. The use of a flexible plasticfor this tube increases the degree of skill required by the tallerplayer and hence 3,081,999 Patented Mar. 19, 1963 2 increases theenjoyment obtained by enhancing the competitive aspect of the game.

Fitted on to the extreme end of assembly 10, there are provided a pairof finger grips 18, 20, having recessed portions 22 adapted to receivethe fingertip of the player. The finger grips may be made of plastic andsolvent or heat-sealed, as appropriate, to the tubes. Lock nut members26 and 28- frictionally engage tubes 12 and 14, respectively. The tubesare slitted at the end to permit deformation by the nuts, thus providingclamping action against the next innermost concentric tube.

Still other locking means may be employed; for example, another methodis shown in FIG. 5 wherein the tubes are provided with ridges adapted tobe gripped by the inwardly deformed end of the surrounding tube. It willbe noted that the end of the tube is provided with a series of fingers34 which engage the grooves 32.

It is preferred that the ends of the tubes be flared (the inner tubeoutwardly and the outer tube inwardly) so as to prevent an inner tubefrom pulling out of an outer tube.

The nested tubes, 12a, 14a- 16a, may frictionally engage one another, asshown in FIG. 6, and thus avoid the use of locking nuts.

It is contemplated that a number of players equipped with the devices ofthis invention would adjust the height to say, nose-height of theindividual player. This would place them on a more or less equal basis.Each player then proceeds to balance the device on his fingertip. Morecomplex variants of the game include the passing of the pole from onehand to another.

It will be noted that the device is equipped with finger grips 18 and 20on opposite ends of the device. This feature permits the device to betossed upwardly and caught, by a skilled player, on its opposite endupon descending. It has been pointed out earlier that it is desirablethat the lower member 12 be made of a flexible plastic. This permits afully extended pole to oscillate slightly providing a whipping motion.This places an additional handicap on the taller player. Thus, whenplayed by a parent and child, the parent with the device in extendedposition is further handicapped by the flexibility of the lower member,whereas the child, with a normally collapsed pole, is not sohandicapped.

While there has been disclosed the best embodiment of the inventionpresently contemplated, it is to be understood that variations in designand substitution of materials may be made without departing from thespirit of the invention What is claimed is: 1. An adjustable heightbalancing rod toy adapted to be supported in a vertical position by thefingertip of a player, said toy comprising:

at least two concentric tubes adapted to be collapsed into one another,the outermost of said tubes having a larger diameter than the innermostof said tubes and the lengths of said tubes being substantially equal;

means on each of said tubes for frictionally engaging the surface of thenext adjacent tube with sufiicient friction to retain the length towhich said tubes are extended when in an untelescoped position, wherebythe overall length of said device is adjustable to any length between afully extended length and a fully telescoped length equal to the lengthof a single one of said tubes, said means comprising an enlargementadjacent to the interfitting ends of each of said tubes, to positivelyprevent an inner tube from pulling out of an outer tube;

and finger grips aflixed to one end of the innermost and the outermostof said tubes at opposite ends thereof, said finger grips each beingshaped with one face conforming to the end of said tubes and the opposedface having a concave recess contoured to receive the fingertip on whichthe balancing toy is to be supported by said player.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the outermost tube is sufiicientlyflexible to bend when supporting the, remainder of the rod in aninclined position and the remaining tubes are sufliciently stiif toremain unbent when the rod is inclined to the vertical.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS MurphyDec. 24, 1895 Southgate July 15, 1913 Tredwell Apr. 19, 1927 SchellhamerJan. 8, 1935 Parker Aug. 2, 1949 Powell June 5, 1962

1. AN ADJUSTABLE HEIGHT BALANCING ROD TOY ADAPTED TO BE SUPPORTED IN AVERTICAL POSITION BY THE FINGERTIP OF A PLAYER, SAID TOY COMPRISING: ATLEST TWO CONCENTRIC TUBES ADAPTED TO BE COLLAPSED INTO ONE ANOTHER, THEOUTERMOST OF SAID TUBES HAVING A LARGER DIAMETER THAN THE INNERMOST OFSAID TUBES AND THE LENGTHS OF SAID TUBES BEING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL;MEANS ON EACH OF SAID TUBES FOR FRICTIONALLY ENGAGING THE SURFACE OF THENEXT ADJACENT TUBE WITH SUFFICIENT FRICTION TO RETAIN THE LENGTH TOWHICH SAID TUBES ARE EXTENDED WHEN IN AN UNTELESCOPED POSITION, WHEREBYTHE OVERALL LENGTH OF SAID DEVICE IS ADJUSTABLE TO ANY LENGTH BETWEEN AFULLY EXTENDED LENGTH AND A FULLY TELESCOPED LENGTH EQUAL TO THE LENGTHOF A SINGLE ONE OF SAID TUBES, SAID MEANS COMPRISING AN ENLARGEMENTADJACENT TO THE INTERFITTING ENDS OF EACH OF SAID TUBES, TO POSITIVELYPREVENT AN INNER TUBE FROM PULLING OUT OF AN OUTER TUBE; AND FINGERGRIPS AFFIXED TO ONE END OF THE INNERMOST AND THE OUTERMOST OF SAIDTUBES AT OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF, SAID FINGER GRIPS EACH BEING SHAPED WITHONE FACE CONFORMING TO THE END OF SAID TUBES AND THE OPPOSED FACE HAVINGA CONCAVE RECESS CONTOURED TO RECEIVE THE FINGERTIP ON WHICH THEBALANCING TOY IS TO BE SUPPORTED BY SAID PLAYER.